Rochester Americans Bolster Blueline
The Rochester Americans have added another player to their roster for the 2015-16 season, signing defenseman Colby Robak to a one-year AHL contract.
Robak, 25, split last season between the Florida Panthers and Anaheim Ducks organizations.
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He appeared in 29 games with the Norfolk Admirals, notching six points, 18 penalty minutes and a minus-12. He also appeared in 12 NHL games between Florida and Anaheim, registering one point, two penalty minutes and a plus-2.
Robak was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, selected 46th overall.
This will actually be Robak’s second stint with the Rochester Americans, as he played with the Amerks in the 2010-11 season as part of the Panthers organization.
Here’s what Hockey’s Future had to say about him, calling him an “above-average skater and a big, physical presence.”
"He has a hard, heavy shot, and is an able puck-moving defenseman. He makes strong passes, both out of his own zone and in transition, and is able to read and react intelligently to dictate the flow of play when on the attack. He plays a poised, fluid game at both ends of the ice, and has above average hockey sense. Robak is also deceptively quick with good straight-line speed that allows him to win puck races and chase down opposing forwards."
Overall, he has 47 games of NHL experience, with four points and 25 penalty minutes through that stretch. He’s spent much of the past few seasons with the Panthers organization, flipping between the Panthers and the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage.
He also has 297 career AHL games under his belt and represented San Antonio in the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic.
The 6-foot-3, 194-pound Robak previously played in the Western Hockey League with the Brandon Wheat Kings between 2006 and 2010. In his time in the WHL, Robak earned a Plus-Minus Award and East Second All-Star Team honors, both in the 2009-10 season.
He won a gold medal with Canada at the IIHF Under-18 World Championships in 2008 and won silver with Manitoba at the Canada Winter Games in 2007. He skated as Brandon’s only 16-year-old rookie in the 2006-07 season.
Robak was with the Panthers organization until being traded to Anaheim in exchange for Jesse Blacker and a draft pick.
Robak joins several other players who could be in Rochester this upcoming season on the blueline, including Matt Prapavessis, Brady Austin and Jerome Leduc. Newcomers Matt Donovan, Josh Chapman, Spiro Goulakos and Bobby Sangunetti are others who could see time on defense for the Rochester Americans.
There’s also the potential for Mark Pysyk and Chad Ruhwedel to rejoin the Amerks, depending on how things go at the NHL level.
Next: Sabres Make Training Camp Cuts
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